Bhutan joined countries from around the world to end all forms of violence against children at the first global ministerial conference on Ending Violence Against Children in Bogota, Columbia.

Education and Skills Development Minister Yeezang De Thapa, who led the national delegation made the Royal Government of Bhutan’s pledge to take a multisectoral approach to strengthen and expand the child protection system, improve access to justice for child victims and witnesses, enhance mental health and social support services nationwide, scale up programmes to promote wellbeing and prevent violence in schools nationwide and strengthen aftercare programs for children affected by violence.

On the sidelines of the conference, the Minister also met with UNICEF’s Deputy Executive Director, Programmes, Omar Abdi and the Special Representative to the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children Dr. Najat Maalla M’jid to advance the agenda on ending violence against children.

The Global Ministerial Conference, held from November 7-8 represents the first time that all governments of the world will convene to commit to prevent violence against children – accelerating action to deliver SDG 16.2

Violence against children—whether physical, emotional, or sexual—is a global crisis happening in homes, schools, communities, and online. Its impacts are severe, leading to injuries, sexually transmitted infections, mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, and death. Early exposure can cause toxic stress, affecting brain development, and lead to aggression, substance abuse, and criminal behaviour.

According to the National Health Survey 2023, more than 80 per cent of children aged 1-14 years reported being disciplined using some violent method over the past month. Of them, 73.5 per cent were subjected to psychological aggression.

Highlighting the significant acceptance of physical punishment as a disciplinary method, the survey found that about 30 per cent of mothers or caregivers believe that a child needs to be physically punished. This also underlined among others, strong social and cultural norms that accept the use of violent child disciplinary measures.

Among the 60.1 percent of children experiencing physical punishment, 18.3 percent experienced severe physical punishment, which includes being hit or slapped on the face, head or ears, or, being beaten up which is being hit over and over as hard as one could.

The Royal Government’s commitments at the ministerial conference, among others, include upscaling parenting programmes in schools across the country, promoting positive parenting practices and safeguarding child wellbeing and upscale wellbeing and anti-bullying programmes in all schools nationwide by 2026 to foster safe and supportive environments for children.

Chief Program Officer with the National Commission for Women and Children Secretariat, Reena Thapa, said the National Health Survey findings underscore the pressing need for comprehensive and coordinated efforts to safeguard the rights and well-being of children.

“To effectively address the complex issues surrounding child protection, it is imperative that we adopt a multi-sectoral approach. The NCWC emphasizes that in all actions taken, the best interests of the child must remain paramount,” Reena Thapa said. “It is crucial that our interventions do not inadvertently cause further harm or increase the risks faced by children. We call on Government agencies, communities, families, the private sector, civil society, and the children and youth themselves to join us, recognizing that the protection of children is not only a legal obligation but a moral imperative.”

UNICEF Bhutan Representative (officiating) Fawzia Hoodbhoy commended the government’s commitment to ending all forms of violence against children. “The widespread use of violence to discipline children and acceptance of such practices by parents and caregivers is a huge concern that needs urgent attention,” Fawzia Hoodbhoy said. “UNICEF commits to supporting the Royal Government in implementing the pledges and ensuring every child in Bhutan grows up in a safe environment.”

Studies show that evidence-based parenting programmes improve caregiving, reduce family violence and maltreatment, and enhance the mental health of children and parents.